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Glass research opens new window for drug delivery

12-Dec-2006 - A new 'glass' making technique that improves stability and durability could lead to novel coatings and improvements in drug delivery, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Centre for Neutron Research.

Novel ionic liquid method promises low-cost levodopa production

11-Dec-2006 - Dutch researchers have developed a new way of making a Parkinson's disease drug using an inexpensive ionic liquid method that could yield cost savings of €11.3 million per annum.

Rockwood sheds Groupe Novasep in €425m deal

04-Dec-2006 - Rockwood Holdings announced last week that it has reached an agreement to sell its subsidiary Groupe Novasep to a consortium of buyers in a transaction valued at €425m.

Bioxel reaches Europe with taxane-based drug

04-Dec-2006 - Canadian pharma manufacturer Bioxel has announced it has received several orders for its paclitaxel product - a taxane-based drug effective to treat cancer - from two European customers representing a total of CAD$630,000 (€420,000).

Reaxa expands catalyst portfolio

29-Nov-2006 - British chemical products and technologies firm Reaxa has launched a new encapsulated catalyst for market trials. Platinum EnCat is a platinum nanoparticle catalyst encapsulated within polymer beads, intended for the hydrogenation of pharmaceutical intermediates.

Indian contract manufacturer matures

29-Nov-2006 - Indian chemicals firm Syschem has decided to move from being just a contract manufacturer to making and selling its own its own active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) & intermediates.

Phenylephrine reformulation a flop?

28-Nov-2006 - Major drug companies across the US have scrambled to reformulate their over-the-counter cold medications in time for a new law that came in to effect in September, however, there are claims that the new formulations are a flop.

Medpharm inks new formulation deal

28-Nov-2006 - Medpharm has signed a new topical drug formulation outsourcing deal as this market sector continues to remain strong.

Granules India takes stake in Chinese firm

27-Nov-2006 - Granules India and Biocause have signed an agreement to create a 50 : 50 joint venture entity to manufacture and sell pharmaceutical APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), starting with Ibuprofen.

Bioxel files new patent for taxane manufacturing processes

22-Nov-2006 - Canadian pharma manufacturer Bioxel has announced the filing of a second international patent application to secure the synthesis of paclitaxel and decetaxel - two taxane-based drugs effective against cancer.

Singapore drives pharma industry forward

22-Nov-2006 - Singapore has successfully completed the first phase of its biomedical science (BMS) initiative and is now pushing the second phase forward in order to drive growth in its pharma industry further.

SAFC to offer new solid-form services in US

21-Nov-2006 - Sigma-Aldrich (SAFC) will soon offer new solid-form research capabilities at its US high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) facility in Madison, Wisconsin.

New bill clamps down on animal activist activity

17-Nov-2006 - The US government to pass new measures that make prosecuting animal-rights activists who target enterprises much easier. The move has lead critics to warn that peaceful demonstrators would be labelled as terrorists.

India's Aurobindo makes manufacturing reshuffle

16-Nov-2006 - India's Aurobindo Pharma has decided to cut loose its bleeding Chinese pharma subsidiary - while still holding on to its ingredients making operation - and instead focus on a new investment in India.

Dor makes ground with ricin vaccine

16-Nov-2006 - Dor BioPharma has announced it has made progress with the formulation of RiVax, a new drug that could be the world's first vaccine for the deadly ricin toxin.

New coalition campaigns to tighten animal testing legislation

13-Nov-2006 - A group of researchers have come together to form a coalition, which aims to campaign for the revision directives on the protection of animals used for scientific research.

Asterand make available cell ranges for disease research

10-Nov-2006 - Asterand is to make available novel research materials to be used in the investigation of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cancer and other diseases making available a range of cell material that is currently difficult to obtain.

New bioprocessing path discovered in bacteria

09-Nov-2006 - Scientists have discovered that a bacteria protein secretion path, unexploited until now, could be key in the production of anti-infective biopharmaceuticals.

Aptuit continues service expansion

07-Nov-2006 - Aptuit has announced its intention to acquire SSCI, a leading solid state chemistry company, just weeks after it bought the pharmaceutical services division of technology firm EaglePicher.

Life sciences salaries soar

07-Nov-2006 - Salaries in the US life sciences industry have soared this year to reach $74,000 (€58,000) on average as more companies seek to attract and retain top talent by offering competitive remuneration packages, according to the Scientist's latest salary survey.

California waives ban on mercury flu shots to face shortage

06-Nov-2006 - California's Health and Human Services (HHS) has decided to temporarily suspend a ban on mercury-based flu vaccines given to children under three, citing a vaccine shortage caused by production delays.

MSD invests €100m in Irish drug making arm

06-Nov-2006 - Merck Sharp & Dohme has just announced a €100m investment in South Tipperary, Ireland to build a new formulation R&D centre and drug manufacturing plant.

Galapagos announces first natural compound collaboration

02-Nov-2006 - Genomics-based drug discovery company Galapagos, has struck a deal with LEO Pharma in an agreement that will see the firm use its natural compound collection for high throughput screening, hit verification, and profiling of selected compounds for LEO Pharma's antibacterial research program.

Scientists improve cancer drug synthesis

02-Nov-2006 - Researchers have developed a more efficient and cost-saving method to make cladribine, a drug used for the treatment of certain types of leukaemia and potentially efficient against multiple sclerosis (MS).

Researchers use bacteria to make anti-cancer drugs

01-Nov-2006 - Scientists are looking into the possibility of using bacteria to make a new library of anti-cancer compounds that are usually too difficult to create synthetically. The discovery could provide the basis for developing useful new anti-cancer drugs.

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